Emeryville Massage School

Trena is a 2004 graduate of Bryan College School of Massage. Since then, she has worked at various places, including a massage clinic and a local spa, maintained regular clientele at a busy chiropractic office, and managed her private clients. She was introduced to National Holistic Institute and became part of the Sacramento teaching team in 2016. Now, she is sharing her wealth of knowledge and years of experience to help people find work they love at the NHI Emeryville location. As Campus Manager, she is excited to guide students towards their passion and lead them to a future in bodywork! "If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies."

Mhari began her massage journey with National Holistic Institute in 2022 when she graduated her Core Program from the Modesto campus. Hungry for more knowledge, she felt she wasn't done learning just yet, so she went on to complete the Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapy Program in San Jose in 2023. She has worked in many settings, from spas to physical therapy offices, blending Eastern and Western modalities to provide an integrative experience for everybody. Mhari is excited to begin teaching and share the knowledge and experience she gained through her time at NHI. "In a world full of chaos, a massage can bring you back to peace."

Megan graduated from the California State University of Sacramento in 2016 with a degree in Sociology. In pursuit of finding a career that encompassed her wanderlust for life and people, she enrolled in NHI’s Core Massage Therapy Program that summer.  Having a good foundation for massage, she decided to further her education by going in to the Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapy Program, and in 2018, she got a certification in dry cupping. For the past 7 years she has worked in office and spa settings, from the valley north of Sacramento to the beaches of Santa Cruz, expanding her practice, and developing her quality of touch. As a teacher, Megan hopes that her enthusiasm and ability to think critically will inspire others to find their inner fire and pursue a career in massage that fulfills them.

Matthew initiated his educational journey in Kinesiology with practical experience as a student athletic trainer at St. Francis High School in La Cañada under his instructor, Eli Hallak. He pursued his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from California State University Northridge, where he practiced WATSU on adaptive therapeutic exercise clients at the Center of Achievement. Matthew credits his mother, a massage therapist with more than three decades of experience, for instilling in him the qualities of compassion, empathy, and fortitude to recognize his vocational calling in massage therapy. In following her footsteps, he enrolled in the Hands-on Healing Institute in 2019 to study massage therapy, where he periodically returned as a guest receiver to assist students in improving their quality of touch. Determined to empower others in their vocational journey, Matthew relocated to Oakland to teach at NHI Emeryville, where he is enthusiastic about passing on his knowledge to students pursuing work they love. “My mission in life is not merely to survive but thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” - Maya Angelou

Lisa is a 1996 Graduate of NHI's Core Massage Therapist & Health Educator Program and has been a dedicated NHI employee for over 15 years.  Her contributions to NHI's mission of "Helping People Have Work They Love" have come through numerous roles held, which include Student Life & Career Coordinator, Mentor, Campus Manager, as well as her current role of Instructor.  Lisa is passionate in establishing connections with each individual who passes through NHI's doors and looks to provide each Student and Graduate with a balance of support and motivation, tailored to their specific needs. Lisa invites any opportunity to share knowledge about the benefits of massage with others and loves to share mini massage facts with children and youth.  I guess one might say that she enjoys "planting the seeds of self-awareness, self-care, and a life-long practice and love of receiving massage."

Kirsten began her journey with NHI as a student in 2004.  While nurturing a growing love for massage therapy, she realized that she naturally also gravitated toward a skill set built in her previous career: training and education for adult learners.  As a student tutor at NHI, and later as a Teaching Assistant post-graduation, Kirsten was able to explore a variety of approaches to teaching and learning while honing her massage skills.  When NHI approached her in 2006 to invite her to merge her loves of education and massage by becoming a teacher, she jumped at the chance.  While growing a robust and diverse massage practice, Kirsten also began to grow with NHI. Kirsten focused strongly on understanding the Core Program curriculum and how to effectively deliver it to a wide-variety of students. Over the years, Kirsten became a key member of the curriculum and faculty training teams, teacher and trainer of the ANMT Program, Co-Manager of the ANMT Program and now currently is the Director of Training and Program Development for all NHI programs and campuses. “My passion is to create educational experiences that make teachers excited to teach and students excited to learn.”

Gabrielle began her massage career in 2008 when she graduated from NHI’s Core Program. She enjoyed the muscular anatomy education she had received as a student, so she also completed the Advanced Neuromuscular Massage Therapy program when it debuted in 2010. In her massage practice, she utilized a number of modalities, particularly deep tissue and trigger point therapy, to help meet her clients’ needs for each session. As an instructor, she draws on her personal experience in the field and her love of learning to help students find their own niche as bodyworkers. “Every body tells a story, and as massage therapists, we have the privilege of helping our clients write their next chapter.” 

Alberta identifies as Black, Indigenous/Seminole, Queer & Androgynous. She was originally raised in the mid-west in a musical household rooted in Jazz, and many African instruments. These experiences led her to maintain an ancestral relationship with sound and meditative healing. Direct life changing healing experiences with energy work led her to bodywork, and the power it can have in releasing trauma in the system. Alberta graduated in 2016 with an Associates in Occupational Science in Massage Therapy from the Swedish Institute in NYC in 2016. She has worked from NYC, Costa Rica, Oregon and California in a range of settings. Starting in 2021, they added ancestral sound healing into their practice offerings. Alberta enjoys witnessing students learning and supporting them in finding their own spark. Bert's desire to teach expanded after creating their own community massage classes for BIPOC folks to feel safe practicing shiatsu at home with their loved ones and friends. In their free time, they enjoy exploring the outdoors and attending culturally specific events. “Systems do not maintain themselves; even our lack of intervention is an act of maintenance. Every structure in every society is upheld by the active and passive assistance of other human beings.” -Sonya Renee Taylor, The body is not an apology

Akilah Tutt graduated from the Petaluma campus of NHI in 2010. She began her massage career at the Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa, CA. She enjoyed the foot reflexology modality and loved performing Meyer Lemon Salt Scrubs. Incorporating Myofascial Therapy's technical aspect of pain reduction proved to be another joyous benefit of her sessions. She is currently serving as an Instructor/Mentor for the Emeryville campus. Her favorite quote is, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."